Seeing “green”: Expo highlights sustainability efforts

Tina Ray

Thursday

Nov 30, 2017 at 12:01 PM

Fort Bragg advanced its sustainability visibility, Nov. 15, with an expo at the Iron Mike Conference Center.The Fort Bragg Sustainability Expo brought dozens of vendors to the installation to profile their products to attendees.The “green” products could potentially help the installation to save money in upcoming years by conserving and maximizing energy and natural resources. As such, the Department of Defense’s Sustainable Procurement Program warrants the purchase of environmentally preferable products and services to enhance mission readiness through cost-saving measures.“Sustainability is important for Fort Bragg as well as our entire planet,” said Justin Mitchell, Fort Bragg Deputy Garrison commander. “We have to take a look at things that are smarter, better,” he said.Doing so allows Fort Bragg to meet the guidelines of Sustainable 2030, an initiative to manage and secure resources for future generations. Sustainable 2030 calls for Fort Bragg to be “more effective, efficient and environmentally friendly,” said Mitchell.The expo brought Jasper Lee, a former Fort Bragg Soldier, back to the installation to promote a liquid food composter for power knot, an organic waste solutions company in California.The LFC decomposes food waste within 24 hours, all in an air-tight, odor-free container, potentially reducing the costs of food disposal.“It reduces maintenance, labor, fuel and oil costs at the landfill,” Lee said.Tom Goldy brought Bio Bag to the expo. It is a compostable bag used for the collection of organic waste that is sent to a composting facility, not a landfill, he said. The bags range from two to 96 gallons and do not contain any polyethylene, a plastic that does not break down. For Dan Brown, a territory manager for Roxul, a Mississippi-based company, the expo provided an opportune time to introduce insulation products. The insulation is non-combustible and recyclable, Brown said. It also doesn’t hold moisture, which eliminates the chance of mold or mildew ­— all factors that could save money associated with fire or medical response incidents.“It’s very resilient material,” Brown added.Showing Fort Bragg how to reduce risk associated with slip and fall accidents is one reason that Michael Gauvreau brought GreenSorb to the expo from Aiken, South Carolina. “It’s a reusable absorbent that can change hazardous liquid into nonhazardous liquid dry waste,” he said.Ninety percent of the “spilling” public uses clay mixes (cat litter) to absorb spills because they don’t know there’s anything better. But, GreenSorb, unlike those clay mixtures, is not dusty, doesn’t leave a residue and is all-natural, Gauvreau explained. The product can also be combined with Safegrade 320, a solvent cleaner, to tackle industrial spills.The expo was part of the Directorate of Public Works commitment to operate The Right Way … The Green Way … All the Way.For more information about Fort Bragg’s sustainability mission, visit www.bragg.army.mil/index.php/about/garrison/directorate-public-works or call 908-1859.